Maradona's Hand of God and Goal of the Century
About this episode
The episode discusses Diego Maradona's iconic 'Hand of God' and 'Goal of the Century' during the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal match between Argentina and England.
On June thirteenth, nineteen eighty-six, the world witnessed one of the most iconic moments in sports history when Diego Maradona scored what became known as both the "Hand of God" goal and the "Goal of the Century" during the same World Cup quarterfinal match between Argentina and England in Mexico City. The match was incredibly charged with political tension, taking place just four years after the Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom. The Estadio Azteca was packed with over one hundred and fourteen thousand spectators, and the atmosphere was absolutely electric with nationalistic fervor on both sides. In the fifty-first minute, Maradona jumped for the ball alongside English goalkeeper Peter Shilton. What happened next would be debated and replayed millions of times over the following decades. Maradona punched the ball into the net with his left fist, but he did it so subtly and quickly that the Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser didn't see the infraction and allowed the goal to stand. When asked about it later, Maradona famously said the goal was scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God," giving birth to the legendary phrase…
Topics covered
- sports history
- Diego Maradona
- World Cup
- political tension
- iconic moments
Keywords
- Diego Maradona
- Hand of God
- Goal of the Century
- World Cup
- Argentina vs England
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Estadio Azteca
Places: Argentina, England, Mexico City
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